Previously, many types of covers have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means of protecting a wide variety of equipment by using some type of enclosure. In known instances the covers are manually hinged, rolled, or folded over the articles, however, nowhere was found an automatic system that included the ability to quickly enclose the article by self-contained electrical and mechanical means.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however, the following U. S. patents were considered related:
______________________________________ Patent No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,645,594 Cintz Feb, 29, 1972 3,454,075 Weinstein Jul. 8, 1966 3,259,173 Manning Jul. 5, 1966 746,675 Childress Dec. 15, 1903 ______________________________________
Cintz teaches a box-like transparent rigid, plastic enclosure for a printer on an outdoor cash stand at a service station. The enclosure has a removable end wall, or is pivotally attached. The size of the enclosure allows operation of the equipment inside without removing it from the stand.
Weinstein discloses a cover for office machines, such as typewriters, that includes a rigid bracket frame extending at the back and under the equipment. A cover is rolled, in window blind fashion, around a shaft extending between uprights of the bracket. The cover is unrolled from the shaft which contains window blind type springs and has no sides, but shelters the top of the equipment when unrolled and is held in place by a weighted slat.
Manning also covers an office machine, such as a typewriter, etc. The function is much like the above, except the cover is enclosed in a retractable device directly behind the machine. The retractable device keeps the cover clean and free from eraser dust and is manually operated by pulling the rolled cover from a slot in the device. Again, no sides are incorporated into the protective cover.
Childress employs a folding structure that supports a flexible cover keeping it in a smooth and unwrinkled condition when extended and yet folds into a compact space for storage. The operation of this cover is completely manual and is placed over the typewriter, or similar device, after is expanded.